Injury Leads to New Syndergaard Workout

NY Mets ace Noah Syndergaard recently announced that he’s changing the way he works out. This spring there was a lot of attention given to his newly bulked up appearance and Syndergaard’s weight lifting regimen.

After refusing to have an MRI done following some bicep soreness, he tore a latissimus muscle while pitching against the Nationals on April 30th. At first, Noah was unapologetic and said he wouldn’t change anything.

It’s very rare in today’s game — when you throw as hard as they do — it’s hard to fathom the idea that he’s not going to have it. I think it’s not a matter of if; it’s a matter of when. He may be able to go six or seven years without having it, as hard as he works, as clean as his delivery is. But it just takes that one pitch.

Ron Darling Rant

After Noah’s injury, several other Mets pitchers and players also hit the disabled list. Starter Robert Gsellman pulled a hamstring just running out a ground ball to first base. That prompted an on-air diatribe by SNY announcer and former Mets starter Ron Darling:

I was referring to the training of the baseball athlete in today’s world, not the New York Mets’ trainers. In my experience, I never lifted a weight in my life in my upper body. I did baseball activities. I played a little shag, took balls in the infield. I ran long distance out my ass. I never went on the DL once. I’m just saying that, considering a lot of the old-timers, whether it’s [Jim] Kaat, [Nolan] Ryan, the ability to do baseball things was very important.

New Syndergaard Workout

Maybe Darling’s rant got through to the 24-year-old Syndergaard. Or maybe Noah noticed that the only healthy Mets starter has been the slim Jacob deGrom . Jacob recently took the advice of Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz to modify his routine in-between starts. He now throws two easier, shorter bullpen sessions instead of one hard, long session. Sometimes less is more.

Whatever the reason, Syndergaard now says that he realizes that he had not been training effectively. As he told the NY Times:

Maybe I was too bulky and wiry, and not in the right areas. I don’t think necessarily this off-season I lifted the smartest weights. I want to go to the weight room and feel taxed. Sometimes I’d leave the weight room not feeling that, so I’d do a little extra stuff. So much of what I’ve learned this year is that I thought I was doing what I needed to be doing. But I realize now how messed up my body was, and I’m working hard to get it back to normal. Nobody really wants to stretch now. But I’ve had this desire to become a more well-rounded athlete, as opposed to just someone who lifts and is strong. I want to be strong, and be mobile, hostile and agile.

Syndergaard also said that in his new workout there is more of a focus on running. In an attempt to build his endurance and the strong legs that are essential to pitching. Ron Darling must have smiled when he heard that.

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